New and updated items first

Serious shortages of some prescription medicines in SWF and nationally continue and worsen. Common medications like ramipril, co-codamol, and dispersible aspirin are affected. Link to current information is at Current Drug Shortages List – Drugs.com . Please don’t blame pharmacy or GP staff; it isn’t their fault.

National flu, COVID-19 & RSV in week 44 to 1 November:

• Flu activity showed variable trends and is circulating at low levels. Hospitalisations rose a little. Flu trends have been rising since August; we may see an early flu season.
• COVID-19 activity showed mixed trends and is circulating at low levels; Covid-19-like symptoms have risen since August. People in SWF are starting to get Covid and feel rotten with it.
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity increased and is circulating at baseline levels. Hospitalisations increased last week.

Broomfield, Basildon & Southend Hospitals performance in September was:

Emergency performance 69.6% (70.2% in August) of patients were seen, treated and either admitted or discharged within four hours in the emergency departments. This is below the Trust’s 73.4% target for September. The performance nationally was 74.4% and for the East of England it was 74%.

Ambulance handover times

• The average time for ambulances to handover patients in September was 48 minutes (45 in August). This compares with 39 minutes across the East of England and 44 minutes nationally. The Trust aims to complete handovers in 23 minutes.

Cancer diagnosis and the elective waiting list

• In August, 64% (previously 67.5%) of patients received a cancer diagnosis within 28 days, against a standard of 80%, and 55.1% (previously 50.2%) received their treatment within 62 days against a national target of 85 per cent. The Trust continues to be committed to improving these figures and recognise there is still a long way to go.

Improvements being made

All three sites are continuing to focus on initiatives to improve urgent and emergency care as we head into winter. This includes introducing ED streaming, improving ward rounds and using Same Day Emergency Care Services throughout the week.

Meetings have been held with the ambulance service and system partners to reduce handover times. Broomfield, Basildon and Southend hospitals are reviewing their processes to ensure patients arriving by ambulance are directed to the right care as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The Trust is continuing to increase capacity, reduce delays and make patient pathways more reliable, particularly for breast, skin and urology cancer patients. It is also working on improving the process for how patients are followed up and receive their results.

Please help us protect young people from Meningitis B before the vaccine deadline on 31 December 2026. The first interim report on MenB vaccine coverage for the year 13 cohort for the one-off vaccination offer targeting young adults in England shows coverage:

• was ONLY 26.6% (212,549 vaccinated out of 799,840 eligible individuals) up to 20 September 2026
• is gradually increasing as young adults have more time to be vaccinated (the report figures are for the first 9 weeks of the vaccination offer)
• varies substantially by geography, sex, deprivation and ethnicity

All eligible young people can book their MenB vaccine by booking online or visiting a participating pharmacy.

A reminder that the one-off vaccination programme is being offered to:

• Everyone born between 01/09/2007 and 31/08/2008
• Young people under 25 (born on or after 21/07/2001) who are starting higher education for the first time, or who are starting further education for the first time as a residential student, in 2026
• International students under 25 entering their first year of university. They should receive their first dose in their home country where possible to give the best chance
  of protection ahead of the start of the autumn term.

Under-18 sales ban extended to nicotine products and all vapes Children will be better protected from respiratory illnesses and nicotine addiction, as new restrictions on the sale and promotion of vapes and nicotine products come into force across the UK.

• Ban on sale of nicotine-free vapes and addictive products such as nicotine pouches, strips and pearls to children comes into effect from 29 October 2026
• Government ends promotional giveaways, substantial discounts and vending-machine sales of vaping and nicotine products
• New enforcement powers to crack down on rogue traders, including £200 fixed penalty notices

More than a million children are estimated to have tried vaping, with more than 370,000 vaping regularly, putting them at a higher risk of developing respiratory illnesses. For the first time, adults aged 18 or over will also commit an offence if they buy, or attempt to buy, a vaping or nicotine product on behalf of someone under 18. The measures also prohibit promotional giveaways and substantial promotional discounts in shops and online, alongside vending machines that either sell or dispense vapes or nicotine products. Local authority stop smoking services can continue providing products to help adult smokers to quit.

Trading Standards will lead retail enforcement in England, supported by new fixed penalty powers which will enable swifter action against rogue retailers. Enforcement agencies are receiving up to £30 million a year until 2028 to 2029. This includes up to £10 million a year for Trading Standards and the recruitment of 120 specialist apprentices to strengthen the workforce tackling illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales.

New figures published by UKHSA show the significant burden chickenpox (varicella) placed on young children in England in 2025 , in the year before protection against the virus became part of the routine NHS Childhood Vaccination Programme.

• There were 3,037 hospitalisations for chickenpox among children and young people under 18.
• Children aged 5 and under bore the brunt of the illness, accounting for over 70% of all clinical chickenpox reports made to regional UKHSA Health Protection Teams.
• The highest rates of those hospitalised were among the youngest children, with those under one year old facing the greatest peak hospitalisation rates.
• Last year, within a relatively small sample of 439 nurseries and primary schools 4,117 absences were recorded.

The good news is that children are now able to get protected against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella, through just two doses of the free NHS MMRV vaccine – given at 12 and 18 months. A selective catch-up programme is also running. From 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2028, a single dose of the MMRV vaccine will be offered to children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022 who have not previously had chickenpox, or two doses of varicella vaccine. These children will already have been offered two MMR vaccines as part of their childhood vaccinations

Last week UKHSA published TB annual data for 2025 which shows TB notifications remain level with 2024, after significant increases in previous years. Demographic trends in TB notifications in 2025 were similar to previous years. For example, 82% of TB notifications were in people born outside of the UK; rates remained highest in urban areas; and people living in the most deprived areas were 6.9 times more likely to be diagnosed with TB than the least deprived areas. Among UK-born individuals, TB remains broadly stable in those experiencing homelessness, drug or alcohol dependency, and contact with the criminal justice system.

Work to reduce notifications in at-risk populations is crucial. This includes targeted testing and communications to increase awareness of TB, which is ongoing as part of the current TB Action Plan. While notifications haven’t increased in the past year, TB remains a serious public health issue. It is important to be aware of the symptoms to ensure prompt testing and treatment, so that TB levels can be brought down significantly.

NHS supports record numbers of people living with dementia as target achieved

• New NHS figures published on 22 October show the dementia diagnosis rate for September 2026 met the ambition of 66.7% for the first time since March 2020.
• The latest figures show 523,081 people have a dementia diagnosis compared to 470,292 people in March 2020 when the dementia target was previously hit.

Faster clinical trials bring cutting-edge treatments to patients

• Government hits ambitious target to speed up clinical trials with delivery times slashed by 35%
• UK life sciences sector boosted by faster, more competitive clinical trials which close the gap between research and treatment
• Patients benefit from quicker access to treatments for cancer, heart disease and other serious conditions
• NHS patients will receive potentially lifesaving treatments faster, as new clinical research delivery data released today (21 October 2026) shows the government has hit its ambitious clinical trials target.
• Trials for conditions ranging from cancer to heart disease were set up quicker, meaning patients could receive treatments sooner – easing pressure on the NHS and marking a boost for the UK’s life sciences sector.

New NHS system to help doctors spot deteriorating children faster in emergency departments – The National Paediatric Early Warning System (PEWS) will be introduced in emergency departments from this winter, giving staff a clear, consistent way to track signs that a child’s condition is deteriorating, and ensure they get the attention they need, without delay.

2026 COVID-19 vaccinations are being offered to those:

• aged 75+ (including those 75 by 31 January 2027);
• aged 6 months to 74 years with weakened immune systems;
• living in a care home for older adults.

You’ll get a GP invitation. Those eligible can book online or using the NHS App. Vaccinations are also available at walk-in sites, community pharmacies and in care homes. Please get vaccinated!

2026 Flu vaccinations are freely available to pregnant women, children aged 2yrs+, people aged 65+, immunocompromised people and their close contacts, adults with certain long-term conditions, care home residents and carers; you’ll get a GP invitation. You can book online, using the NHS App or ringing 119. Please get vaccinated!

The Measles outbreak continues but is slowing. Parents should get children vaccinated and check children’s vaccination status.  In 2026 to 12 October 1030 English measles cases have been confirmed, exceeding the 2025 total of 959. Two children and one adult have died of measles in 2026. Essex remains in danger.

There’s a national outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning. In the last year two people have died and there’ve been 586 confirmed cases, associated with eating imported eggs at various food outlets, including small cafes, restaurants and takeaway businesses, not eggs cooked at home. About a third needed hospital care. Don’t eat undercooked food. The Food Standards Agency has found a new variant in Ukrainian-supplied eggs contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, which may be available for retail sale in small shops. Shell eggs originating from Yasensvit Ltd, Ukraine, stamped with the code 3UA1012066 should not be consumed and shouldn’t be on sale. Major supermarket eggs are produced in the UK and aren’t affected. Thoroughly cook all food.

Cold weather is coming. It’s as dangerous as heatwaves. Take simple steps to protect yourself and others, including: keeping parts of our homes warm, checking in on friends, family and vulnerable neighbours; follow weather forecasts and public health advice during cold weather.

A new neighbourhood health centre in Maldon has received government support, an important step towards improving local healthcare facilities. This may indicate the plans for St Peter’s Hospital’s future, and bring more healthcare services closer to people’s homes, while protecting existing services.

The Orsett Minor Injuries Unit has moved to Thurrock Community Hospital, Long Lane, Grays, RM16 2PX, providing the same services in better facilities by the same staff. Patients can walk-in from 1000 to 1930, for minor injuries such as wounds, bumps, sprains, suspected broken bones, minor eye injuries and minor burns. Our weekly newsletter includes everything we’ve published on our website in the previous 7-days. Libraries provide online services and help with internet access. For welfare information and subscription to our newsletter, email swfhealthsocial@outlook.com or leave a voicemail on 01245 322079.

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